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Monday, April 23, 2012

Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

“I like how you're neither here nor there. And how there's nowhere else you're meant to be while waiting. You're just sort of suspended.”

- Jennifer E. Smith, The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it

This has to be one of the most unique and heartfelt contemporary YA books I have read in a while. With a title containing the words 'love at first sight' I was afraid it was going to run into insta-love category, but I found it far from it. It's not so much about love at first sight, but the possibility of love at first sight and other things.

The story follows roughly 24 hours of the life of Hadley Sullivan as she catches a plane to London to attend her father's wedding to a woman she has never met. Along the way she meets Oliver and through the story she is trying to learn how to reconcile her feelings with her father and his new marriage.

Smith uses an excellent writing style that is sparse and simple, but still tells you so much. She is an excellent storyteller--I felt sympathy with the characters and connected through the use of retrospective story telling.

We don't get to know much about Oliver and Hadley outside of their conversations, but sacrificing these details is what makes this book so wonderful. I did kind of want it to be more . . . quirkier if that's possible.

My only complaint is the ending was a little to saccharine sweet and tied everything into a neat bow a little too neatly.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is the perfect book to read in one sitting and makes you want to hop to the nearest airport to battle chance and probability for yourself. There is also this wonderful title drop that is also kind of a Book Ends

This book takes off the minute you open it and lands with little to no turbulence.I am peaked to read more Jennifer E. Smith. This story was good for me and I enjoyed it.